1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to garden tools, more specifically, a method and apparatus for weed elimination utilizing a manually operable weed stomping tool that incorporates a weed stomping bit that has a bottom cutting edge designed to sever the weed's foliage from the stem while simultaneously the weed stomping bit crushes the weed stalk and attendant root structure to a depth below grade.
2. Background Information
There are many types of garden tools which can be utilized to remove weeds from the lawn and garden. Most of these tools rely upon some type of sharpened spikes, or root clamping blades, claws, or members designed to entrap a weed between these parts and afterward remove the weed and attendant root structure from the ground with upward force. Examples of the aforementioned garden tools can be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,234,241, 5,743,340, and Canadian patents 2507157, 2664002 as well as similar prior art. Other types of weed removing tools rely on extracting a core of soil containing the weed and attendant root structure, depositing the cores on the surface of the ground or into various receptacle types. Examples of the aforementioned other types of garden tools can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 6,330,921 and Canadian patent number 2065940 and similar prior art. These types of prior art garden tools are not particularly efficient as multiple tasks are often needed to complete the extraction and debris clean up of a single weed. Often times these types of prior art garden tools leave undesirably large holes after weed extraction. These types of prior art garden tools rely upon one method or another to remove weeds or portions of weeds from the ground ultimately with upward force.
Accordingly, a method and apparatus for weed elimination using a weed stomping tool is disclosed having a handle, an elongated shaft, a footrest, and a weed stomping bit that has a downward facing bottom cutting edge. When the weed stomping bit is positioned on the ground over the centre of a weed and downward pressure is applied to the tool, either by pushing on the handle or stepping on the footrest, the weed stomping bit is forced into the ground while simultaneously the downward facing bottom cutting edge of the weed stomping bit severs the weed's foliage from the stem and the weed stomping bit crushes the weed stalk and attendant root structure to a depth below grade where they biodegrade. This method of eliminating weeds is novel because no removal of the weed takes place, but rather, foliage is severed from the weed, thereby cutting off the life-giving process of photosynthesis needed for the weed to survive, and the weed stalk and attendant root structure are crushed below grade where they biodegrade.